Around 2,000 roosters to fight for title at Tiruvallur event

With the court directing the police to grant permission and supervise the rooster fight that sought approval to be conducted as part of the centenary celebrations of the late Chief Minister, M G Ramachandran, and commemorating the birth anniversary of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the event took off to a grand start on Saturday.

Over 2000 country poultry brought by owners from around 16 districts-including Salem, Trichy, Tiruvannamalai and Pudukottai- were contested in the game. Roosters brought in from States like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka, too, participated.

Each fight was held as per knock-out norms and lasted for nearly 20 minutes. Three separate rounds are held for roosters winning the first round. Gold weighing half a gram, and trophies are awarded to the rooster winning each round.

The court order had made it clear that the event was to be supervised by the Superintendent of Police in the district as well as a veterinary doctor of the nearest government veterinary hospital. No injury was also to be caused to the contesting birds, it stated.

The order, which imposed stringent conditions, also held that the roosters should not be intoxicated, and that knives-with their tip dipped in poison- should not be tied around the bird’s legs.

The public here were thrilled that like jallikattu, the traditional game of rooser fight, too, has been allowed to be conducted.